Best android smart phone for sync with Outlook

10-27-2012, 03:18 PM

Have been using a Blackberry curve for a year and a half which works well for GTD and a Outlook sync. But...

I want a new phone and would like to try an Android.

Need a GTD app that syncs with Outlook Tasks which I have to use at work. I use Outlook at work with the GTD add in which I love, but I don't need any project task link on the smartphone. Also need to sync Outlook memos, contacts and calender with smartphone.

It would be good if the sync wasn't via the cloud/internet but I am open minded. I realise another option might be with toodledo though I must admit I have never managed to sync Outlook with toodledo perhaps.

I'm not a phone expert, but I do not believe that the hardware ("phone") matters so much as the OS ("Android").

My PIM is Outlook 2010, and I use CompanionLink (starting at about $50) on my Windows 7 notebook PC to sync with the DejaOffice app (free) on my Android smart phone. The combination syncs Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks, and memos (and you can choose to leave any of those out of the sync process if you prefer).

Thus, my data resides primarily in two places: Outlook on my PC and DejaOffice on my phone. DejaOffice also lets me sync from it to the Android contact list, so that the Android phone app can recognize names of incoming callers.

It's not perfect (particularly with too-frequent crashes that, until recently, used to wipe all data off DejaOffice), but, with an understanding of a couple of minor limitations, this approach has worked OK for me. I guess that it has to, as I know of no other integrated solution that does not use Exchange.

Comment

I'm not a phone expert, but I do not believe that the hardware ("phone") matters so much as the OS ("Android").

My PIM is Outlook 2010, and I use CompanionLink (starting at about $50) on my Windows 7 notebook PC to sync with the DejaOffice app (free) on my Android smart phone. The combination syncs Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks, and memos (and you can choose to leave any of those out of the sync process if you prefer).

Thus, my data resides primarily in two places: Outlook on my PC and DejaOffice on my phone. DejaOffice also lets me sync from it to the Android contact list, so that the Android phone app can recognize names of incoming callers.

It's not perfect (particularly with too-frequent crashes that, until recently, used to wipe all data off DejaOffice), but, with an understanding of a couple of minor limitations, this approach has worked OK for me. I guess that it has to, as I know of no other integrated solution that does not use Exchange.

Joe

Thanks radioman, that may well be the solution.

I actually have Outlook on Exchange via work but I don't know if that makes things easier.

Comment

I'm not a phone expert, but I do not believe that the hardware ("phone") matters so much as the OS ("Android").

My PIM is Outlook 2010, and I use CompanionLink (starting at about $50) on my Windows 7 notebook PC to sync with the DejaOffice app (free) on my Android smart phone. The combination syncs Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks, and memos (and you can choose to leave any of those out of the sync process if you prefer).

Thus, my data resides primarily in two places: Outlook on my PC and DejaOffice on my phone. DejaOffice also lets me sync from it to the Android contact list, so that the Android phone app can recognize names of incoming callers.

It's not perfect (particularly with too-frequent crashes that, until recently, used to wipe all data off DejaOffice), but, with an understanding of a couple of minor limitations, this approach has worked OK for me. I guess that it has to, as I know of no other integrated solution that does not use Exchange.

Comment

I use Touchdown to synch all my calendar, tasks, contacts and memos through the exchange server. It works like a champ. No cable is necessary. As emails come in, they are pushed to the phone. Changes I make to the calendar, tasks or memos on the desktop show up on the phone and vice versa. It's like having Outlook on the phone.

Comment

The Companionlink/DejaOffice sync is via USB cable or wirelessly via WiFi. I use WiFi via my home router to my laptop. There might be other options that I am not familiar with. Just google them and see.

If you have Exchange, there is at least one other option for you with Android. I don't recall the name of the app (I think it's Touchdown as noted above), but, again, a bit of poking around with google will locate one or more apps fairly quickly.

Joe

Comment

I use Touchdown to synch all my calendar, tasks, contacts and memos through the exchange server. It works like a champ. No cable is necessary. As emails come in, they are pushed to the phone. Changes I make to the calendar, tasks or memos on the desktop show up on the phone and vice versa. It's like having Outlook on the phone.

I've been using Touchdown for quite some time now with my corporate Exchange account. As stated above, it's just like having Outlook on your Android device. You can set up rules just like Outlook, you can tell Touchdown what folders to sync to minimize the amount of data you move, you can automatically set quite times (non working hours) and handle messaging differently in those situations, etc. Highly recommend the software!